| Place | Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Melbourne |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART41009 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 137.7 x 57.3 x 61.2 cm |
| Object type | Sculpture |
| Physical description | Bronze |
| Location | Main Bld: Outdoor Exhibition Area: Western Precinct |
| Maker |
Montford, Paul Meridian Sculpture Founders |
| Place made | Australia: Victoria, Melbourne |
| Date made | 1929 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Patriotism
Description
Paul Montford arrived in Australia from England in 1923 with a strong reputation as a sculptor. He had trained at the Royal Academy School as a scholarship holder, won numerous sculpture prizes, exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1892 and worked on many public works that merged sculpture and architecture.
'Patriotism' indicates Montford's application of Edwardian Classicism, a symbolic memorial to the fallen of the First World War. The base of the group represents the prow of a ship, drawn on wheels by lions, the child between them represetning generations unborn who will be heirs to the spirit of freedom. Enthroned above the chariot stands the symbolic figure of Patriotism in a scaled breastplate and holding an ancient Greek helmet. Behind the figure in bas-relief are stylised outstretched wings and a pediment motif.
The piece was cast in bronze by Meridian Sculpture Founders, Melbourne, from the plaster in 1991. This sculpture is the maquette for 'Patriotism', for a sculpture for the north west buttress that was carved in Tynong granite for Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, 1934.